This invention relates to disinfection and in particular to a disinfectant delivery system and a method of providing alcohol-free disinfection to a body to be disinfected. The invention also relates to a method of infection reduction by preparation of a patient before an invasive procedure.
Resistant organisms, such as MRSA and VRE, are an increasing problem in modern health care facilities. Once a patient becomes colonized and acquires an infection from a resistant organism, it is difficult and costly to treat the infection. The result has been a significant increase in morbidity and mortality for health care facilities.
Previously, it has been known to provide a patient bathing system having washcloths for body cleansing. U.S. Pat. Nos. D 394,605; 5,725,311; 5,906,278; 5,956,794 and 6,029,809, all assigned to the assignee of the present application, are directed to such a system. A resealable package is provided having a plurality of washcloths contained therewithin. The package has an opening through which washcloths can be individually withdrawn for body cleansing. The package can be heated, such as in a microwave or other heating facility, so that withdrawn washcloths are comfortable to the patient when used.
Such a system and washcloths are convenient and effective for body cleansing. However, until the present invention, microbial disinfection has not been possible with such a system.
Chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG) is a highly effective broad-spectrum topical antiseptic. It is effective against both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. In addition, CHG exhibits the property of persistence in that it continues its anti-microbial activity beyond immediate bacteria elimination, providing protection several hours beyond an initial application. Moreover, CHG exhibits a cumulative property that improves efficacy after multiple applications. Finally, CHG is well-tolerated on human skin. It is currently considered to be the premiere topical antiseptic ingredient by the health care community.
Pre-surgical or skin puncture preparation requires delivery of an antiseptic to the body area being prepared for an invasive procedure. CHG has been used in the past in pre-surgical preparations, although each such preparation employs alcohol as an active ingredient. Never has CHG been used alone as the active ingredient of a pre-surgical preparation, nor has CHG of any nature ever been delivered via a pre-impregnated disposable washcloth.
When skin bacteria is to be reduced, a pre-surgical preparation is applied to the patient's skin immediately before the surgical procedure. One method also attempted in the past, but not in widespread use, is to apply topical antiseptics to the entire body several days prior to the surgical procedure, which, in theory, reduces skin bacteria levels even before a pre-surgical preparation is applied. The combination seems to further reduce post-surgical infection.